Food Hubs & Vaccine Clinics - Presbyterian Community Health

Building trust is critical to overcoming health inequities in any community. In the “Food Hubs & Vaccine Clinics” episode of REACHing for Vaccine Equity, learn from this New Mexico team addressing vaccine confidence head on by building trust in the community. Serena Ortiz, CCHW, and Sophie Tate, MPH, from Presbyterian Community Health in Albuquerque share their successes and challenges of co-launching COVID-19 and flu vaccine clinics at a local food hub providing fresh food. Aiming to reach American Indian, African American, and Hispanic/Latino communities, this project focused on using trusted local sites to build vaccine equity.

In this episode hosted by Lisa Jacques-Carroll, AIM iREACH Project Public Health Consultant:

• Learn about the free Food and Vaccine Hub in the heart of the International District of Albuquerque. Presbyterian Community Health REACH program staff Serena and Sophie share the challenges of health inequities and how they have established trust with the community.
• Learn more about the “Trusted Messenger Model,” which has been crucial in helping individuals struggling with vaccine confidence, giving them the boost needed to overcome their concerns.
• Hear how they worked with partners, trusted messengers, and the community to promote and provide access to free fresh food and COVID-19 and flu vaccinations.

 

About Serena: 

Serena Ortiz, CCHW, joined Presbyterian Community Health in 2021 as a Community Health Worker (CHW) supporting patients with health-related social needs via screening and community resource navigation. In 2022, she transitioned into the role of Project Coordinator for Vaccine Equity and Community Engagement, where she provides program support for a variety of COVID-19 and flu vaccine equity initiatives, including coordinating community-based clinic events, liaising with community and program partners, and managing internal and external communications to support program activities like training, education, and outreach. 
 
Before joining Presbyterian, Serena earned a Bachelor of Public Health degree from New Mexico State University. She then transitioned into working for New Mexico’s Public Health Institute (Center for Health Innovation), assisting with youth substance use prevention programs and the NM community data collaborative.
 
As a born-and-raised New Mexican, Serena has a passion for the community that fostered her growth and development into the person she is today. With her lived experience of poverty, discrimination, and healthcare access, she is committed to advocating for health equity and social justice.

 

About Sophie: 

Sophie Tate, MPH, has always been interested in cooking, eating, and discussing food. From her Bachelor in Economics degree from Skidmore College to her dual Master of Public Health and Environmental Health degrees from the University of Sheffield and EHESP Paris, she has incorporated food system access, food sovereignty, and food justice into all aspects of her coursework. 

She is especially interested in how built environments affect food choices and access and how these factors influence community health. At Presbyterian Community Health, Sophie coordinates the new produce prescription program called the “Food Farmacy.” She is one of the original team members who worked on creating the “Food Hub” at Whittier Elementary and manages the Community Garden at the resource center on the hospital campus. She is dedicated to expanding education and access to fresh produce through community organizing. 

Born in China, raised in Kansas, and now thoroughly enchanted with New Mexico, Sophie enjoys exploring the outdoors, working on crossword puzzles, cooking, eating, and discussing food.

 

Connect and Links: 

Presbyterian Community Health

Presbyterian Community Health Classes

Learn more about our Presbyterian Community Health programs and resources here.https://www.phs.org/community/committed-to-community-health/Pages/programs.aspx

Whittier Elementary School Food Hub - https://www.aps.edu/schools/schools/whittier-elementary-school

 

About the Podcast: 

REACHing for Vaccine Equity is a limited series podcast hosted by the iREACH team at the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM). This series of informative episodes discusses how individuals living with chronic health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, clinical depression, and more, can continue to thrive with the preventative power of getting vaccinated and adopting healthy  behaviors. Each episode will provide examples of vaccine equity initiatives for specific health conditions and share tips for community leaders on reaching and supporting diverse communities to achieve health and vaccine equity. Meet iREACH recipients who will share successful strategies they’ve used in their communities, their challenges, and the health inequities they are working to overcome.

 

AIM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to establishing a nation free of vaccine-preventable diseases and eliminating health disparities. Visit our website ImmunizationManagers.org to get resources to help your community thrive. This podcast series is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All episodes were recorded and produced in 2023.